Asserted Topics:
- Discernment of the five senses.
- Discernment of associations.
- Do not imitate anyone, especially do not imitate Maharaj’s actions.
Key Points:
- The main reason for liberation is adherence to scriptural conduct.
- The same five senses that bind can liberate if used discerningly and in relation to God.
- Good or bad company can influence bondage or liberation.
- Do not imitate Maharaj. In fact, do not imitate anyone.
Explanation
This Vachanamrut is an expression of Maharaj’s compassion. While all Vachanamruts are such, this one has a special distinction. For one, Maharaj felt an urgency to convey this message early in the morning, with three parts of the night still remaining. After calling everyone, he contemplated for a long time and mentioned that while he felt inclined not to speak, he decided to share his thoughts because the devotees are dear to him. Maharaj accepting us as his own is a sign of his compassion. Maharaj says that the discourse he is sharing involves (1) discernment of the five senses, (2) discernment of associations, and (3) Do not imitate. Those who act according to these guidelines will attain liberation. Without this, even studying the four Vedas, the six Shastras, the eighteen Puranas, and historical texts, or understanding their meanings, or hearing them, will not lead to liberation. The primary cause of liberation is adherence to proper conduct, which applies this knowledge practically.
When Maharaj speaks of liberation, considering its complementary aspect, bondage, helps in understanding his teachings. What causes bondage? In Vach.G.A.3, Maharaj explains that contemplating viṣaya (objects of the senses) leads to repeated births and deaths. The individual either physically indulges in the five senses or contemplates them internally, unable to stay without them even for a moment, leading to bondage. Maharaj explains how the same five senses that usually bind devotees can become a means for liberation if related to God.
Maharaj says, “Those who follow the guidelines regarding discernment of the five senses and associations will attain liberation, but without following these guidelines, mere scriptural knowledge will not suffice for liberation.” Moreover, the same five senses that bind can also liberate if experienced discerningly in relation to God.
Maharaj says that he contemplated in his heart about what causes disturbances in the hearts of God’s devotees. When Maharaj examined the antaḥkaraṇa (conscience), Maharaj found that the fault did not lie much with the antaḥkaraṇa. The major fault lies with the five sense organs (jñānendriya-s). It is these that contaminate the antaḥkaraṇa. Though the place where disturbances arise is the antaḥkaraṇa, the cause of these disturbances is external and lies in the five sense organs. Just as diseases manifest in the body but their cause is mostly external, the disturbances that arise in the antaḥkaraṇa are also brought in by the five sense organs. In Vach.G.M.2, Maharaj explains that the origin of viṣaya (sensual objects) is through the senses and not from the antaḥkaraṇa. The viṣaya first arise in the senses, then enter the antaḥkaraṇa, and ultimately affect the soul (jīva). Therefore, the origin of viṣaya is neither from the antaḥkaraṇa nor the jīva. The internal impressions of viṣaya are triggered at any time by the senses that previously introduced them. Thus, it is easy to let corrupted pañca viṣaya (five sense objects) into the antaḥkaraṇa, but removing them is very difficult. What enters in five minutes can take years, or even lifetimes, to eradicate. Maharaj cautions us very carefully, saying, “…act wisely in this manner.”
Maharaj states that there are two types of pañca viṣaya (five sense objects): (1) śubha pañca viṣaya (auspicious sense objects) and (2) aśubha pañca viṣaya (inauspicious sense objects). Some sense objects bind the soul, while others serve as instruments of liberation. Those that purify the antaḥkaraṇa are considered auspicious. In Chapter 17 of the Gita, there is a beautiful description of three types of food, which is worth considering. It describes the kind of food that is dear to a sāttvika (inclined to the divine attribute of Maya) person:
आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः।
रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः।।
āyuḥ-sattva-bala-ārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ
rasyaḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ (17.8)
Food that increases life span, purity, strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction, which is juicy, smooth, stable, and pleasant to the heart, is dear to a sāttvika (pure) person.
On the other hand, a rājasa (inclined to the pleasure-seeking attribute of Maya) person prefers:
कट्वम्ललवणात्यु्ष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः।
आहाराः राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः।।
kaṭv-amla-lavaṇa-aty-uṣṇa-tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ
āhārā rājasa-syeṣṭā duḥkha-śoka-āmaya-pradāḥ (17.9)
Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, excessively hot, pungent, dry, and burning are dear to the rājasa person and cause pain, grief, and disease.
The key difference between these two types is that a sāttvika person chooses food with an eye on its long-term effects, considering future implications. A rājasa person, however, makes choices based on immediate sensory pleasure without considering whether the food will bring happiness or suffering later. If they did consider the future consequences, they might not choose such foods at all. The Gita thus highlights the importance of discernment in food choices related to the tongue. Maharaj extends this principle to all five sense organs. The sense objects introduced through these organs have immediate and long-term effects on the antaḥkaraṇa (inner faculty). Recognizing the difference between beneficial and harmful effects on the mind is termed viveka (discernment). Even after becoming devotees, we often lack this discernment, and Maharaj seeks to draw our attention to it. This lack of attention necessitates Maharaj emphasizing this point heavily. He says, “If you act according to this guidance, we will consider our efforts successful and give you heartfelt blessings.”
Maharaj’s words show that what he wishes to convey does not naturally come to our minds. Do we not recognize the difference between good and bad sense objects? We do, but our perspective and distinction are different. We regard those sense objects that are pleasing, attractive, and valuable to the senses as good. We do not consider whether they will lead to bondage, increase worldly desires, or enhance the inclination towards God. Therefore, Maharaj strongly emphasizes this distinction.
In this Vachanamrut, Maharaj emphasizes that it is very difficult for a seeker (mumukṣu) to differentiate between sense objects (pañca viṣaya) that lead to liberation and those that cause bondage. Maharaj notes that an ordinary person will not understand this distinction, but a discerning person (vivekī) will. Maharaj must have felt the need to explain this in the assembly because the line between attachment and detachment is often blurred, even for the wise and the devotees. Although we all indulge in sense objects, the exact moment when we cross the line into attachment is not always clear, even to the knowledgeable or the devoted. Hence, Maharaj’s explicit mention and detailed explanation of this point underscore its significance.
Auspicious sense objects (śubha viṣaya) are those related to God and help purify and sanctify the antaḥkaraṇa (inner faculty). In contrast, inauspicious sense objects (aśubha viṣaya) contaminate and pollute the antaḥkaraṇa. When sense objects devoid of any relation to God enter the antaḥkaraṇa through the senses, they destabilize it and immediately make their impact felt. Just as intoxicants like hemp and alcohol affect both the antaḥkaraṇa and the physical body upon entry, auspicious and inauspicious sense objects also exert their influence. However, their impact is primarily on the antaḥkaraṇa, not so much on the physical body. This distinction between the two types of sense objects is often not apparent to an ordinary person. But a discerning person who observes their own antaḥkaraṇa can immediately perceive the impact and recognize the difference.
The history of the scriptures includes accounts of sages like Saubhari, Narada, and Ekalshrungi, who were disturbed by a single exposure to inauspicious sense objects. Such encounters have shaken the foundations of their thousands of years of penance. A single sight, taste, or touch has nullified their millennia of austerities. Therefore, Maharaj states that just as intoxicants affect the body, so do these sense objects impact the antaḥkaraṇa, lowering it to a base level. Hence, Maharaj explains that all such disturbances are caused by the senses.
Additionally, Maharaj notes that just as association with the wicked corrupts the intellect, so too does association with the virtuous purify it. Sense objects related to God and His saints purify the antaḥkaraṇa and guide one towards liberation. Therefore, one should partake in sense objects while adhering to the boundaries of the varṇāśrama system.
Just as there are auspicious and inauspicious sense objects (viṣaya), there are also auspicious and inauspicious associations that affect the seeker’s intellect. Good company purifies the antaḥkaraṇa and leads one towards God, while bad company contaminates the antaḥkaraṇa and leads one away from God. Devotees should examine their own antaḥkaraṇa to discern the impact of their associations. Maharaj states that an ignorant person (gabargand) may not understand this, but a discerning person (vivekī) will certainly see the difference.
Thirdly, Maharaj advises, “Do not imitate our actions; rather, live according to the boundaries we have set.” Indeed, those who wish to progress on the path to God should not imitate others in indulgence of sense objects. If one must imitate, it should be the virtues or practices of a virtuous person or a great devotee (sādhaka), and even then, in a spirit of learning rather than competition. Hence, it is out of the question to imitate Maharaj in such a way. Imitating someone in indulgence of sense objects leads only to downfall and nothing else. Therefore, Maharaj advises against such imitation.
Maharaj emphasizes that these three principles must be upheld. Anyone who seeks liberation cannot achieve it without following these guidelines. Maharaj expresses his pleasure in this guidance, stating that if one lives according to these principles, he will bestow blessings and, in the end, meet them in God’s abode. Failing to do so will result in separation and being born as a ghost or a demon due to the desires of the five senses, leading to endless suffering. Therefore, he urges, “Live according to these principles.”
-Swaminarayan Chintan